Apr 13, 2009

Midnight is the first novel in a completed urban fantasy series. Life in rural 1985 Kentucky doesn't equate to simple life when Samantha Clark discovers that what she always believed was garden variety depression is genetically-inherited vampirism. As she struggles to leave behind a life of abuse and emotional disintegration, she also learns what it is to be a vampire--nothing like the books and movies--through the support and guidance of Jeremy, Steve, and her mentor Michael, all of whom share her genetic predisposition and have undertaken similar journeys. Not only does Sami awaken to her vampiric nature, but she also sheds her past perceptions of what she thought she had to be and discovers who she needs to be: her true self after all, in the arms of the Family she always longed for, as an unwanted child who never knew the truth of her roots, of her mother and father.

I grew up in the mountains of southeastern Kentucky. My poetry and short stories have appeared in the Stories from the Red Light District anthology, the Aegri Somnia anthology, the upcoming Harlan County Horrors anthology, and the Help anthology. I am a member of the Toasted Cheese online writing community, a contributing editor for Apex Magazine, and an independent book reviewer and editor.

I declare that I am the author and sole owner of Midnight, and the Harlan Vampire Series as a whole, and that it is original and contains no unlawful content, nor does it violate the rights of any third party.

I have included a one page synopsis of Midnight with this letter and will send the completed manuscript (106,481 words) or a portion at your request. I look forward to your response. Thank you for your time.

A revision of this query has been posted. Click here to read it.A second revision has been posted. Click here to read it.

Dear (Agent),

An Ancient Evil has arisen, but a Cryptic Prophecy speaks of a Young Boy who will wield a Mystic Sword and defeat it. Gilbert Gaberlunzie has seen this tired old plot play out more times than he can count. Gilbert works at Quest Support, a call center that provides assistance to Heroes, Villains, and anyone else involved in Quests. Even though he’s sure he’d make a better adventurer than any of the idiots who call him, Gilbert is satisfied where he is. He loves…well, tolerates his job, and wants nothing more than to sit in his cubicle and drink coffee.

Things don’t work out quite that way. When Gilbert accidentally gets an extra-stupid Hero killed during the Final Battle with the Dark Lord, he puts the whole world in peril and loses his job to boot. Since his knowledge of fantasy clichés isn’t good for much else, Gilbert decides to defeat the Dark Lord himself and set things right. After doing interviews for party members and appropriating some malfunctioning magical artifacts from his ex-employer, Gilbert sets off on a journey down the well-trodden paths of fantasydom. His feet may hurt and he may be hopeless with a sword, but Gilbert is sure he’s ready for anything the genre throws at him, whether it’s elves, goblins, an oracle, or those giant spiders that always live in caves. But can he handle the inevitable Plot Twist?

QUEST SUPPORT is complete at 94,000 words. It is a lighthearted fantasy that pokes some good-natured fun at the genre’s clichés, and is a perfect antidote to the flood of Tired Tolkien Clones out there. It will appeal to readers sick of clueless cardboard characters, or anyone who’s ever wondered when Heroes wash their socks.

I know Nathan Bransford is posting 50 queries today in his Agent For a Day contest, and that many of you know about this blog because you read about it on Nathan's...but still, we're running low on queries and I know they are out there! Don't let other activities stop you from posting here.

:-(

Tell your fiends in your online and real-world writing groups about this Public Query Slushpile, and let's see if we can build up some new momentum!